Multidisciplinary queer Hong Kong artist Nicky Tsz Tung Li shares the story behind her 2024 Adelaide Fringe show – and the challenges and blessings of bringing new work to the stage as an independent artist.
I was drafting a grant acquittal. My friend Stevie was bouncing on a squeaky bed while belting out an ’80s Cantopop song. I looked up to them and said: “That would make an awesome cabaret.”
That peculiar dream birthed the concept of Leslie & Anita: Fallen Stars of Hong Kong.
Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui are household names in Chinese-speaking countries. Iconic for their liberating and gender-bending performances, the two Hong Kong idols were popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Their deep friendship conjured sensational chemistry whenever they shared the stage or the screen.
In 2003, Cheung committed suicide on April 1after living with clinical depression. Months later, on December 30, Mui succumbed to cervical cancer. Their legacies continue in their art and those who adored them.
I have been a fan of Mui since watching Dearest Anita (2018), a tribute film released on the 15th anniversary of her passing. I was captivated by her unique voice and “bad girl” persona. Her care for society was also admirable.
My endearment for Cheung only developed when I wrote the script for Leslie & Anita. It was heart-wrenching researching his stories. An openly bisexual Asian artist tormented by mental illness, his voice encapsulated my pain.
A photo of Anita and Leslie from the South China Morning Post archive.
“There is a bittersweet lens when you listen to his songs and watch his films. I hope I can honour his story,” says actor Samuel Lau, who will be performing Cheung’s vocal part.
Choreographic advisor Vivian Foeng says getting to know how subversive Mui and Cheung were throughout their careers has been very inspiring: “Their lives are reminders that life can be very complicated, but between our highs and lows, we get to cherish the moments of connection and authenticity with each other.”
Being a queer Chinese-Australian dancer, Foeng excitedly adds: “I’m finding out there’s so much more queer pop culture I can relate to, which is awesome.
“Hong Kong in the ’80s was an interesting time full of changes, and the context gives more power to how Anita and Leslie had continually challenged the status quo by being themselves.
“They were intentional, but also wildly carefree. Bringing that to life while honouring their essence has been a challenge.”
Leslie & Anita is transcribed in both English and Cantonese captions, with the storytelling intertwined with Cantonese pop songs.
The contemporary issue concerning Hong Kongers is cultural preservation. While our language and identity are politically suppressed in our homeland, those who have emigrated worry their descendants will eventually lose their mother tongue.
Lau, who was born in Australia to Hong Kong immigrants, says: “I know Cantonese in a colloquial capacity, but it is so different when it is written! Learning the songs has been like learning a whole new language, almost as if I’m rote-learning the sounds.
“Leslie and Anita would be similar ages to my parents if they [the artists] were alive. It’s their generation of music and pop idols. Practising the songs, and at times singing with them, has been a heartwarming experience.”
Foeng, whose mother is from Guangdong, concurs: “I have enjoyed hearing my mum sing along to these songs as well. It makes me feel more connected to her.”
Members of the cast and crew of Leslie & Anita: Fallen Stars of Hong Kong: Samuel Lau, Nicky Tsz Tung Li, Jennifer Trijo and Vivian Foeng.
As I told Lau and Foeng, if this show achieves nothing else aside from helping them recover some of our language and culture, it will make all my work feel worthwhile. It is a beautiful sentiment, and I am genuine. Nonetheless, there have been financial challenges along the way.
I was fortunate to receive a Creative Development Grant from Helpmann Academy in 2023 to develop the artistic direction and workshop the script, and an artist grant through the Fringe Fund to present the show at the 2024 Adelaide Fringe. However, between collaborators’ wages and assorted expenses, I am left with negative $601.52 as my projected income.
“There are several challenges of being an independent artist,” notes our accompanist, Filipino-Australian creative Jennifer Trijo.
“The main one is not having a steady income. There are seasons where the projects are abundant and the income is great, and then there are quieter seasons of wintering.
“It helps to have a community of like-minded, supportive and resourceful people around you in order to persevere through the inevitable challenge of being a storyteller in a world that needs convincing of the value of artists.”
Addressing the mental strain of creating a show where effort often goes unrecognised, Lau says the “internal struggle” is a big challenge.
“I think it takes a lot of resilience to pursue this sort of work. But, surrounding yourself with good people and a good team has been a godsend in these situations, and is one of the joys of working in the arts.”
I have been blessed with a great cohort of artists and organisations who value the voices of culturally diverse artists. I am thrilled to have found a Hong Kong audience base after my Fringe debut last year.
Trijo says of her own experience: “I’ve found myself working with several artists of Hong Kong heritage in the past 12 months, and I’ve learned a lot about the privilege I have with self-expression that others may not have.
Get InReview in your inbox – free each Saturday. Local arts and culture – covered.
Thanks for signing up to the InReview newsletter.
“To be able to work with artists who have this delicate history is an honour, and it is very meaningful work.”
As long as I have the support of my communities, and the privilege to make art, I shall continue telling stories.
Leslie & Anita: Fallen Stars of Hong Kong will be performed at Nexus Arts on February 16 and February 23. The show is transcribed in both English and Cantonese captions, featuring a completely Asian Australian cast. Read more about Nexus Arts upcoming Adelaide Fringe program celebrating local diverse talent in this CityMag story.
This story is part of a series of articles being produced by InReview with the support of Adelaide Fringe.
Read more 2024 Adelaide Fringe stories here.
Support local arts journalism
Your support will help us continue the important work of InReview in publishing free professional journalism that celebrates, interrogates and amplifies arts and culture in South Australia.
Donate Here
